The Life of a Showgirl… Oh Wait, a Preschool Teacher! 🦋
From the first Floof to the Tiny Forever Factory
Welcome to my very first blog!
If you’ve found your way here expecting sequins, a spotlight and perfectly rehearsed choreography, I’m afraid you’re getting a preschool teacher with a sewing machine, an ever-growing collection of craft supplies and a head full of ideas.
There may still be glitter. There is almost always glitter.
I’m Mel, and this is the story behind Forever Be My Always and my little creative space, affectionately known as the Tiny Forever Factory.
Before the first Floof
My love of making things began with my grandma. She let me explore her stationery and craft supplies, use the good stuff and see where my imagination took me. Those memories have stayed with me, along with the feeling of having someone encourage my curiosity.
I went on to spend 25 years in early childhood education. I loved helping children discover what they could do, watching their confidence grow and finding ways to make learning fun.
That love of education is still part of me. But some very difficult workplace experiences left me struggling to recognise myself.
The part behind the pretty butterflies
There were dark days. Days when I felt I had hit rock bottom.
It is hard to explain how lonely it feels to hear a workplace describe itself as “family” while feeling unsupported when you most need help. From where I stood, it felt as though I was drowning, and the support I hoped for wasn’t there.
My confidence suffered. My mental wellbeing suffered. Finding enjoyment, or even something to look forward to, became difficult.
I’m sharing this because the pretty pinks and butterflies are only part of my story. Behind them is someone still working through a painful chapter and trying to find herself again.
I’m still paddling. Some days are easier than others. But I’m beginning to lift my head above the water and take a breath.
One little Floof started something
While taking time to care for myself, I returned to my hobbies.
I started sewing scrunchies. Somewhere along the way, they became “Floofs”, and that first little Floof gave me something I had been missing: the enjoyment of making something with my own hands.
Then came another idea.
And another.
Apparently, my brain does not understand the phrase “just one small project”.
With Mum sewing and creating alongside me, encouragement from my boys and family, and plenty of brainstorming with Stanley, my AI sidekick, the Tiny Forever Factory began to take shape.
The teacher in me keeps turning up
Our range seems to grow almost weekly as new ideas find their way onto the craft table.
Some become keepsakes to help families capture a memory. Others invite little hands to create, explore or discover something new.
Then there’s the Ducktective Club, where books become adventures and our little detectives have a case to quack!
I find myself thinking about the children who might enjoy each creation. What could spark their curiosity? What could they make their own? What might become a happy memory with someone they love?
That is where my teaching experience finds its way into what I create.
Finding me again
Creating hasn’t erased what happened, and it hasn’t made recovery simple.
But this hobby has brought back sparks of passion and interest. It gives my mind somewhere to go beyond the difficult experiences and leaves me with something to look forward to.
I want to keep learning. Keep creating. Keep giving myself a chance.
For me, moving forward means finding confidence again and building a life with more room for enjoyment. It means remembering that I still have ideas worth exploring and something worthwhile to share.
So this blog will be a little window into that journey: the creations, the family behind them, the experiments and the inevitable “Mum, I’ve had another idea…”
Thank you for being here as I paddle my way forward.
With love,
Mel 🩷
From the Tiny Forever Factory, where learning meets fun.